Influencing My Dreams
by ValaGillian
Summary: Sam’s “Jack or Pete” dilemma has finally reared its head into Sam’s professional and personal life. It’s even influencing her dreams. She has to make a decision and she has to make it now. Now With Chapter Three!
1. The Dreams, The Nightmares

Title: Influencing My Dreams

Author: ValaGillian

Category: Stargate SG-1 - Romance

Summary: Sam's Jack or Pete dilemma has finally reared its head into Sam's professional and personal life. It's even influencing her dreams. She has to make a decision and she has to make it now.

Rating: PG

Part One: Another Nightmare

It was 4:00 A.M. when I awoke from another nightmare. I shook my head and found the cool glass of water on the nightstand. My skin was covered in a thin film of sweat and I emptied the glass in one swift swallow. After setting it back down on the nightstand I fell back onto the pillows.

These nightmares are becoming more intense every week and I don't know how much more I can take before they declare me officially insane. No, I can't let this disrupt my work. Not after that ordeal with Oorlin. There was no excuse for that man, alien, whatever he was. No one believed me and for the first time in my life I felt like a real alien crackpot that is too paranoid for her own good. I mean, who falls in love with an alien, this isn't some weird offset of _Earth Girls Are _Easy. I shook her head, why am I thinking about this right now? It's time to get up and get ready for my everyday run of the mill job. I whispered, "yeah right," to myself and smirked as I got up and walked into the bathroom.

When I turned on the bathroom light it was as if everything was thrust back into the world of reality and my nightmare almost disappeared from my consciousness all together. I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the night of the living dead figure I saw standing there. I forced my stare from the mirror and down to the sink where I grabbed the only toothbrush on the rack made for six and brushed some toothpaste on very sloppily. I was late. Again. They're going to know something's wrong if I keep this up. I'm usually the first one in and the last one out if I leave at all.

When I was done with my teeth and walked over to the closet. I grabbed fresh underwear, yesterday's bra, a white tee, and some jeans. I threw them on brushed my fingers through my hair and grabbed the keys.

On the way out I noticed the two-week-old mail strewn across the floor by the back door near the mail slot. I didn't bother to go pick it up, what's one more day? I stepped outside and was automatically greeted by a cool brisk of winter wind. Lovely. I tried to shield my face from the wind as I headed towards my car with no luck. As I headed down the steps I slipped on some kind of plastic and hit the driveway hard.

When I opened my eyes I saw a blurry shade of red and then as my bearings returned I recognized what I had tripped over. There were a dozen roses wrapped in plastic to shield them from the winter wind near my head. I smiled and grimaced at the same time as I stood up. The tag on the roses read: To Sam From Pete, Dinner 9:00 p.m. My Place.

Once I arrived at Cheyenne Mountain, an all too common site, I checked in with the guard and headed off towards the locker room. When I got there I just walked right in without checking my watch. I went over to my locker and started to turn the combination lock when I heard a familiar sound.

The whistling was coming from one of the shower at the back and as I got closer I knew that whistle could only be coming from one person, and that person was Jack O'Neill. For some unknown reason, my heart starting beating double-time and my immediate instincts told me to start backing up and get the hell out of dodge. But I stayed.

I was just about to betray myself totally by getting closer when he drew back the curtain. I was totally bewildered and unconsciously staring. He had either thrown on a towel before I came in or I was just too out-of-it to notice.

"Carter?" He questioned, evidently very bewildered himself. I shook my head downward to the lime green linoleum and whispered "Sorry, sir. I didn't check my watch. I didn't realize it was the men's locker room right now." I prayed to myself that he wouldn't question why I was standing directly in front of his shower. Hell, I didn't even know the answer to that myself.

He shook his head in the affirmative and walked off into a secluded portion of the locker room. I could hear him from the other room when he said, "oh, don't let me bother you, Carter. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." I turned in a semi-circle still trying to figure out what I was doing and walked back to my locker.

After changing I went to the Gate Room to see what was going on since I was late after all. There was surprising nothing life threatening happening at the particular moment so I decided to go down to my lab and maybe call Pete.

By the time I had finished everything I had to do in the lab I did pick up the phone. I hesitated before calling. What would I say? I'm still not very experienced at this whole relationship thing. Would I call him baby, honey, sugar-pie, what? I decided against it and slammed the phone back down on the receiver as Jack came in unannounced as usual.

"Wrong phone number?" He said in his casual humor. I smiled for the first time today and said, "yeah, something like that." He smiled back and looked at the contraption sitting on the main desk. "What's this?" My expression changed and I know he sensed it. I opened my mouth to go on about the prototype when he evidently changed his mind. "Wait, I don't think I really want to know." He smiled at me reassuringly and I could feel myself become physically buoyant again. "Carter," he said almost as if he was embarrassed or scared. "What do you say we blow this rat hole and go have dinner?" Wow! Reality check… I know he could see the total shock on my face and that my mouth must've been hanging wide open. This could be the chance of a lifetime… But I suddenly remembered Pete's roses from this morning and my rude awakening to them. My spirits automatically plummeted into the dark depths of a bottomless pit; a pit I thought of as my heart when I faced the inevitability of my decision. The same decision that has been distracting me at work, harassing me when I'm off-duty with Pete, and even worse, manipulating my dreams into nightmares. I realize that he's observed my facial expression and that I'm just standing there comatose and has decided to tell me every reason in the book why that was a bad idea. I snap out of it just as it feels like something inside has snapped as well. I think it was my fear. I've made up my mind and it's time that he knew the truth…

To Be Continued. Chapter 2 Coming Soon!


	2. Never said I Love You

Influencing My Dreams: Chapter Two 

_I snap out of it just as it feels like something inside has snapped as well. I think it was my fear. I've made up my mind and it's time that he knew the truth… _

He was getting very embarrassed and I could see that he was inching his way closer and closer to the door. Just as he was about to really leave I opened my mouth and said something that stopped him dead in his tracks. "Ah, sir…" My voice was coated with nervous anxiety. "I'd love to." He turned his head a little and said sarcastically, "but…" The tension drained a little and the corner of my mouth turned up. "But nothing, I'd love to." He looked a little suspicious at first but then nodded his head. "Rayanos, at seven?" He asked. And without thinking I blurted out, "It's a date." The tension returned and my smile disappeared. I looked down at the ground with sharp embarrassment. To my surprise he said as he was leaving, "yes it is, Sam, yes it is."

I could hear him whistling down the hallway and out of nowhere I actually grinned. Okay, summarization please. I had a dinner date with Pete. Now I have a dinner "date" with my superior officer. What am I getting myself into? What am I going to tell Pete? What am I going to do? Should I tell him the truth? All of these questions raced through my mind. I closed my eyes, swallowed, and picked up the phone. My fingers flew across the keypad as I dialed Pete's number all the while forcing myself not to hang up the phone. The ringing seemed to go on for ages. That's the worst thing about the theory of relativity. Time flies when you're having fun, but if it's pure agony a second can seem like an eternity. As I was thinking about this I almost didn't hear Pete who was on his second "hello." I accidentally shouted into the phone "Pete?" "Sam? Is that you? Is everything okay?" I cleared my throat and whispered "Yeah, everything's fine." Oh, if only he knew how screwed up things really were. I could hear his sarcasm over the phone. "Okay, then, what's up? Aren't you supposed to be out saving the world?" I sighed into the phone and attempted to sound casual. "No, everything's right with the world at the moment. Well, in a sense." Come on, get to the point! My conscience wouldn't shut up and was directly contradicting my wiser common sense. After a slightly awkward pause following my silly comment he asked the question I was desperately trying to avoid. Ugh, This is why I hate getting into relationships! I realized I hadn't answered his question, in fact I think my internal safeguards prevented me from hearing it in the first place. "I'm sorry, what?" "About dinner, did you get the roses?" I felt the side of my face that was probably already showing signs of bruising. "Yeah, I got them. That's what I called about." There was another pause. "I can't make it, I'm going to be caught up here for a little while." Way to go Sam! Just use the same trick every time, sorry man, I have to work! My work. That's what's destroyed every relationship I've ever had since high school. Bad memories… Back to the point. "But, Sam, I thought you said there was nothing wrong right now." My heart stopped. I was short of breath. What am I going to say? Oh, yeah, sorry Pete. I'm just going to totally disregard your roses and romantic dinner date to go out with my superior officer whom I've had a girlish crush on for the past eight years. Think, Sam, think. You're a colonel in the United States Air Force. You can handle a curious cop. "Yeah, just because everything's fine with the world now doesn't mean it won't be five minutes from now. Anyway, I have to finish up this prototype I'm working on." Which was a complete lie. The only thing on my agenda was to find a suitable dress for Rayanos, the most formal restaurant in all of Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. "Okay, I hope you finish soon." I smiled in reassurance to myself and then quickly changed my demeanor to moroseness. "I'm really sorry I can't make it. I loved the roses…" He sounded indifferent over the phone. Which, I can say worried me a little. "It's okay. Well, I've got to go to work now, got a double shift." I shook my head in the affirmative, "okay, and bye." He sounded a little confused, "bye." I gently hung up the phone this time and knitted my eyebrows. Confused? Why would he be confused? Then I realized my mistake. I didn't say I love you. What could that mean? I walked across the room to where the prototype was. I stared down at it and grinned. I have to go shopping. I'm in need of a dinner dress…

Chapter Three Coming Soon!


	3. Jack's Heart

Title: Influencing My Dreams: Chapter Three: Jack's Heart

Author: ValaGillian

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG1, Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, or anything associated with all of the above. Please do not sue me.

Summary: Jack and Sam, a dinner date. An unexpected guest.

Author's Notes: So, here it is four in the morning, I haven't updated in months and out of the blue there comes my old friend inspiration. My momentary writer's block has been cured for the moment. I tried to make this one a little bit easier to read grammatically. Thanks for the tips and reviews everyone, you're my inspiration in the dark! Enjoy…

After an hour and a half of relentless fitting rooms and stores I finally found the perfect dress. The perfect little black dress. I hope this isn't too much. I mean, this is Jack. Whew, deep breath girl you're doing great. So I left the mall, shopping bags in hand, and tried to prepare myself for the night I've been dreaming about for the past eight years.

RAYANOS 7:00 P.M.

The second I walked into Rayanos I knew the dress I had chosen was perfect for this atmosphere. I could see him across the room in what appeared to be an Armani suit. Wow. He looks so good, I could dine on his appearance alone, forget the food.

He glances up and acknowledges my presence with a quick upward curve of his lips and a small wave. How do I manage to get myself into these kinds of situations? I ponder this imminent question as I advance towards the man that is most definitely checking me out with an approving demeanor that seems to scream tiger sizing up it's prey.

I reach the table and waiter appears out of nowhere to pull the chair out and seat me in a formal manner. I'm a little shaky at this point. I guess everyone in their right mind that happens to be in this restaurant tonight can see the nervousness written all over my face and body language. I realize that he's been talking to me and the only thing I've done is stare at his mouth like a complete idiot. I try to cover by reaching for my glass of wine and taking a sip. Guess it worked his look of concern fades away some.

"What happened to the side of your face?"

I roll my eyes at that astute observation he made and give him the 'don't ask' look.

"So, nice place, huh?"

I try to make casual conversation that may ease my anxiety and pray that he follows along.

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to bring you here tonight. Sam, there are something's that we have both ignored over the past eight years that need to come out before we both make mistakes that can be avoided."

So much for small talk. I take another sip of my wine but there is no hiding my nervous expression now. He wants to talk? After all these years he chooses now to talk about us! About us! I don't know what to say. I'm completely astonished. The only thing that manages to escape my lips is a faint

"Jack…"

He bits on his bottom lip a little and puts his hand over mine on the table.

"Sam, you need to know that…"

At that moment, at that crucial moment in my life when everything in my body is on pause a shriek and several screams shatter that picturesque moment. Pete is standing across the room, gun drawn. He is aim is unmistakable. Pete is aiming for Jack's heart.

Well, well, looks like we've run into some trouble. Tune in next week… muahahahahaha! Reviews please… they make my weekdays leading to Friday when the new season nine episodes of SG1 air fly by!


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